Beaten to The Case
by Tanith2011
Summary: Dan and Steve find themselves in a precarious situation on a steep incline as they struggle to apprehend a diamond smuggling crook. A one-shot response to a writers' H/C challenge based on a screen cap taken from an episode of the original series.


**_AN: Written as a response to a writers' H/C challenge based on a screencap. Special thanks goes to Honu59 for giving this tale a quick look over._  
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**_Tanith  
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**____****Disclaimer:** ___I do not own any of the original characters, locations or canon information depicted in the original series, "Hawaii Five-O". I'm just borrowing them for my pleasure and hopefully the enjoyment of others._

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The long chase takes the two detectives to a bluff overlooking the deep blue ocean off Oahu's coastline. The tall, dark-haired officer slams the breaks on his jet black and abused Mercury. The vehicle skids to a halt off the road, bringing up loose rocks and sand that forms a thick cloud of swirling dust in the air. Car doors swing open, only to be shut again with excessive force as McGarrett and Williams make haste to catch the fleeing suspect on foot.

The twin brief cases impede Tom Cassidy's movement as he runs off the road from his broken down Corvette. It doesn't take long for his dress shoes to slip and slide out from under him.

McGarrett reaches the blond suspect and yells in a commanding voice, "Stop right there! You have nowhere to go!" The wind carries his words out toward the sea but he knows Tom hears him.

On his hands and knees, Cassidy loses his grip on one case but manages to keep a firm hold on the other. Sensing Hawaii's top cop right behind him, he swings the case around, knocking McGarrett's revolver from his grasp before it hits the man in the chest. The sound of air being forcefully expelled from the detective's lungs greets his ears and he takes this opportune moment to further knock the man off-balance. Bringing his left fist up as he jumps to his feet, Cassidy unleashes a hard punch that meets its mark.

The blow lands heavily against McGarrett's jaw causing him to fall and roll several feet down toward the edge of the cliff. The rough gravel scrapes away the skin from his hands as he uses them to stop his ongoing descent. His body eventually crashes into the second brief case, leaving him even more breathless and dazed but he was nonetheless grateful that the offending item stops his momentum, saving him from certain death.

The diamond smuggling crook scrambles up the steep incline, but upon seeing the younger detective hurrying toward him, Cassidy tries to twist his body to dodge the officer, however, the soles of his designer footwear fail to grip the surface of the gravelly terrain. His legs give way, folding under him and he releases the case as his survival instincts kicks in.

McGarrett crawls to his hands and knees, wincing as he slowly regains his senses.

Trying to utilize techniques learned on his days riding the surf, Dan Williams allows himself to slide down the steep slope while maintaining his balance. He shouts, "Stop!" then seeing Cassidy's refusal to obey his command, he raises his hand and fires a warning shot in the air.

Tom's desperation escalates as he reaches for the brief case, and hurls the object at the sandy-haired detective.

The impact of the hurtling case catches Dan in the chin and throws him onto his back, dislodging the pistol from his grip. An all too familiar taste of copper and salt fills his mouth. He turns onto his side, clambering on all fours and spits out the warm liquid, staining the earth crimson. Nausea assaults his stomach but he fight back the urge to vomit as he hears Cassidy's heavy breathing above him. Before he could push himself to his feet, rough hands grasp him by the back of his jacket, pulling him upright and wheeling him around at the same time. Shaking his head to clear away the haziness, he takes a swing but his assailant ducks in time. A fist jabs him sharply in the gut, catching him directly below his sternum and disabling his faculty to breathe. Winded and dazed, Dan continues his struggles to wrestle Cassidy to the ground but pain erupts in his chest when a knee rams into his ribs. Doubling over he realizes the criminal is about to repeat the action. Grappling with the crook, and kicking the taller man's legs out from under him, he brings them both crashing onto the gravel. For the second time within minutes Dan finds himself flat on his back and locking eyes with his adversary who slugs him hard in the mouth. The bright Hawaiian sunlight disappears to be replaced by an array of flashing stars against a black backdrop, obscuring his vision.

A triumphant sneer spreads across Cassidy's face as he pushes himself off the prone detective and reaches for the handle of the briefcase.

The sight of his young second in command outmatched by his opponent is enough to bring McGarrett to his feet. Adrenaline surges through him and propels him forward, taking Cassidy by surprise. Tackling the man from behind, he shoves him onto the ground and twists his arms up behind him. Breathlessly and amid a chorus of wailing sirens closing in, he reads him his rights and secures steel cuffs around Cassidy's wrists.

Uniformed HPD officers scramble down the incline and drag McGarrett's prisoner to his feet, escorting him back up the slope to be taken into custody. An officer of Hawaiian descent helps the lead detective to his feet. McGarrett thanks him, and after quickly assuring the young man he was alright, he makes his way to his protégé's side.

The sun's glaring rays fill Dan's eyes once again. Its blinding brilliance forces him to reach up and shield his face.

"Danno! Are you alright?" Steve asks urgently with worry twisting his features. Carefully, he kneels on one knee and gently helps Dan roll onto his side. He notes the sound of the young detective's uneven breathing and sees the blood trickling from his lower lip.

Dan nods, signalling to Steve that he just needed to lie there a moment longer to catch his breath. Much to his relief, he feels his diaphragm start to relax. With Steve's help, he climbs to his feet and wipes the blood from his face with the back of his hand.

Grimacing, McGarrett hands Williams his handkerchief.

Dan gratefully accepts the offer and presses the material against his numb lips. "Danks, Stebe."

Hearing Dan's muffled response, Steve chuckles and wraps an arm around his shoulders as they slowly and painfully make their way back up to the roadside where their feet would meet the comforts of level ground.

PAU


End file.
